Resetter for counters



1 1940- w. A. KENNEDY ET AL 3 HESETTER FQR COUNTERS Filed April 6, 1939'2 Sheets-Sheet l Q) 3nnentor5: WOODFORD F]. KENNEDY EUGENE.POYCHRPENTER (Ittomeg 1940- w. A. KENNEDY ETAL 2,224,

RESETTER FOR COUNTERS Filed April 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nvcntor5.Woouporzn fl KENNEDY EUGENEROY CRRPEN TER Gttorncg Patented Dec. 10,1940 UNITED STATES RESETTER FOR COUNTERS Woodford A. Kennedy and EugeneRoy Carpenter, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application April 6, 1939, Serial No. 266,288

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a counting mechanism for registering thenumber of operations of various machines. The herein disclosed countingmechanism is especially adapted to operate upon a loom to determine thenumber of picks made by the loom over a given period of time. In manytextile mills two or more shifts are often em ployed, therebynecessitating two or more counting mechanisms for registering separatelythe picks made by the loom during each shift. These counting mechanismsare driven one at a time from a common shaft and are so arranged thateither may be selected, depending upon which shift is operated. Onceeach day the registered picks are recorded by a mill operator and thenit is necessary to reset the counters to zero position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pick counter for loomsand the like comprising a plurality of counting mechanisms with meansassociated therewith for resetting simultaneously all of said countingmechanisms to zero position in one operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a counting mechanismof the class described having locking means for rendering inoperativethe resetting means while the counting mechanism is in operation. Thislocking mechanism prevents unauthorized persons from tampering with thecounter should an attempt be made to actuate the counter to cause it togive it an improper reading.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an isometric viewshowing a pick counter with a plurality of registering means associatedtherewith;

Figure 1A is a view of a key which is used to lock and unlock there-setting mechanism;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure l, butomitting the front covers;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 in Figure2;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 45 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of the resetting andlocking mechanisms employed in the present invention;

Figure 6 is a detailed view showing the means whereby the resettingshafts pick up the totalizer wheels.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral I denotes asuitable support such as the arch of a loom towhich casings H and 12 aresecured, said casings having covers 14 and I respectively secured to thefront side thereof. The cover H has transparent windows l6 and I1therein through which are visible indicating or totalizer wheels l8 andHi respectively, which 5 are disposed within the casing The upper cover|5 has a transparent window through which is visible the indicatingwheels 2| disposed within the casing l2. The wheels l8, I9 and 2| arerotatably mounted on shafts 23, 24 and 25, respectively, in a well knownmanner. All of these wheels are identical and are adapted to be turnedby suitable gears 26, 21 and 28, which gears are adapted to mesh withpinions such as 29 and 30, on longitudinally disposed shafts 3| and 32.These gears 29 and 30 have their teeth notched so as to advance thewheels l8, l9 and 2| in the correct manner upon rotation of theactuating mechanism.

The shafts 23, 24 and 25 have gears 33, 34 and 35 rotatably mountedthereon, said gears being adapted to mesh with worms 36, 31 and 38,respectively. The worms are slidably keyed upon a vertically disposedshaft such as indicated by the reference character 39. This shaft hasthe fitting fixedly secured around its lower end. Pivoted to the fitting40 as at 4| is a bar 42, the lower end of said bar having pivoted as at43 another fitting 44 which is disposed upon the upper end of actuatingrod 45 (Figure 1). As this rod turns, rctative movement will be impartedto the gears 33, 34 and 35, which, in turn, will actuate the totalizerwheels l8, l9, and 2| by way of intermediate pinions 29 and 30.

The shaft 39 also has a suitable grooved hub slidably keyed thereonwhich is engaged by a gear segment 5| on shaft 52 (Figures 2 and 4).This shaft 52 extends through front cover l4 and has a knob 53 securedon its end. The hub 50 has means associated with its upper and lowerfaces whereby the same may be engaged with worm 36 or 31. This mechanismis more fully shown in co-pending patent application of Woodford A.Kennedy, Serial Number 242,824 filed November 28, 1938.

The shafts 23, 24 and 25 have pinions 55, 56 and 51 fixedly mountedthereon which, in turn, are disposed adjacent the left-hand totalizerwheels I8, I 9 and 2|, respectively in Figure 2. Disposed betweenpinions 56 and 51 is an intermediate pinion 58 and this pinion isfixedly mounted around an intermediate shaft 59 the ends of which arejournaled in the lower portion of the casing l2. The lower portion ofthe casing I2 and the upper portion of the casing II have a suitableslot 60 cut therein through which the lower portion of the pinion 58 isadapted to rotate. This, of course, is necessary in order to cause thepinion 58 to mesh with both the pinion 56 and the pinion 51.

The pinions 55, and 55 have disposed therebetween a pinion fiI, saidpinion 6I being rotatably .and slidably mounted on a shaft 62. Thisshaft has one end thereof rotatably mounted in the end wall of lowercasing II and its other end rotatably mounted in extension 93, whichprojects from the back side of the casing (Figures 4 and 5). The shaft62 extends beyond the exterior of the casing II, and upon the extendingportion is secured a suitable crank 65 which is used when it is desiredto reset the counting mechanism, to zero position.

The shaft 62 has a suitable collar fififixedly secured therearoundhaving a notch 61 in the right hand face thereof (see Figure 2). Thisnotch is adapted to engage a suitable projection 68 which projection isintegral with the left hand face of pinion GI. The notches 6'! and 68are normally held in disengaged position as shown in Figure 2, when thecounting mechanism is in operation; however, when it is desired to resetthe counting mechanism to zero position, a suitable locking means isoperated to release the a projection 98 together with the pinion BI toallow it to move to the left into engagement with collar 65 so that theturning of crank 65 will effect a rotation of the intermediate pinion 6iand its associated pinions 55, 55, 51 and 58.

The pinion GI has an annular groove ID on the right hand side thereof,which groove is adapted to be straddled by the two arms of an L-shapedmember I2 forming a slot II. The extreme right hand end of member 12(Figures 2, 4 and 5) has a hole I8 cut therein, which hole acts as a camsurface against which projecting cam ll is adapted to fit. It will benoted by referring to Figures 2 and 5 that the cam "I4 is an integralpart of a lock cylinder I6 and this look i cylinder is mounted forrotation in a suitable block I8, which, in turn, is secured to extension53 by any suitable means such as screws I9. The lock cylinder I5 has akey hole 88 therein which is penetrated by a key BI shown in Figure 1Awhen it is desired to turn the cam I4 to a different position.

The right-hand inside face of the hole I8 is held against the projectingcam member I4 by means of a suitable compression spring 85 said springbeing mounted around shaft 62, with one end thereof abutting against theface of pinion 5i, and the other end normally abutting against a collar88 which is slidably and rotatably mounted around shaft 62. The collar88 is also adapted to have two spaced arms on'the right hand end of aU-shaped member 95 fitting against one side thereof. These arms form aslot 89 which passes over the hub of collar 88. The face of member 98has a slot9I therein in which the member 12, previously described, isadapted to slide. Since the spring 85 normally tends to expand, it isquite evident that the members 6| and I2 will be biased to the left inFigures 2 and 5 at all times to cause the right hand portion of the holeI3 to contact the cam I4. Theexpansion of spring 85 will also'tend tomove member 95 and its associated parts to the right.

The right hand end of the member I2 has a slot I5 therein. This slotfits over a projecticn 19a on blccklil. Asithe cam is turned in onedirection, spring 85 will move member I2 to the left thereby causing theslot 15 to change its position relative to projection 18a.

The left-hand end of member 99 hasintegral therewith laterally andrearwardly extending prongs 93 and 94. These prongs havearcuate cavities95 and 56 cut therein which areadapted to fit over sleeves 55a and 56a,respectively, extending from pinions 55 and56 (see Figures 3 and 5).Extending from the righthand face of extensions 93 and 94 areprojections 91 and 98 (Figures 2, 3 and 5). These projections areadapted to fit into suitable cavities 99 and I99, out in the face ofpinions 55 and 56, respectively. Due tothe tendency of spring 85 toexpand, these projections 91 and 98 will normally be forced toward theright and against the left hand face of pinions 55 and 56. When thetotalizer wheels I8 and I9 are in zero position the cavities 99 and Iwill be disposed opposite the projections 91 and 98; consequently, theprojections will be forced into thecavities to lock the gears or pinions55 and 56 in position when the cam I4 is rotated to the position shownin Figure 2. Since the lower pinions 55 and 55 are positively geared tothe upper pinion 'Ithrough an intermediate gear 58 it naturally followsthat shaft 25 for the upper totalizer wheels 2| will also be locked inposition when the projections 97 and 98 are disposed in cavities 95 andI00.

When it is desiredto reset the totalizer wheels I8, I9 and 2| to zeroposition, the key 8| is inserted in the slot 89 in the lock and thelocking cylinder I6 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction inFigures 2- and 5. This will allow the spring 85 to expand and thus causethe pinion 5i together with member I2 to move to the left, because asthis lock'cylinder is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, theprojection M will be moved from engagement with the right hand innerface of hole I3; When this operation is effected the projection 68 onthe left hand face of pinion 6| will be in an engaging position with thenotch 61 which is integral with collar 66 on shaft 22. Upon the turningof the crank 65 in a clockwise manner in Figure l, the pinions 55, 56and 51 and 58 are turned to cause the totalizer wheels I8, I9 and 2| tobe simultaneously reset to zero position.

Figure 6 shows a detailed View of the means whereby the resetting shaftpicks up the totalizer wheels. Each of the shafts 23, 24 and 25, has alongitudinally extending groove I85 therein (see Figure-6) and eachnumeral wheel has a pawl I59, the free end of which is adapted to engagethis groove. When the totalizer wheels are operated through the drivingmechanism, that is the rod 45, the wheel I8 in Figure 6 will rotate in acounter-clockwise direction. Therefore While rotating in this manner thepawl I06 will move out of the groove I05; however, when it is desired toreset the wheels to zero position the shaft 23 is rotated by means ofcrank 65 and the gears 6i and 55in a counter-clockwise manner, and ofcourse when the groove I95 moves into contact with the free end of pawlI06, the totalizer wheel I8 will become an integral part of the shaft,that is when the shaft is rotating in a counter-clockwise"manner. Asuitable leaf spring In! is employed for normally keeping the free endof the pawl I96 in contact with the periphery of the shaft 23.

Members 90 (Figures 2 and 5) have integral therewith projections 90a andthese projections are adapted. to fit into elongated slots IZa'inopposed edges of member 12. The slots 12a are considerably longer thanthe projections 90a; therefore, a limited amount of relativelongitudinal movement can take place between members l2 and 95. In otherwords, the projections and slots limit the relative movement between theparts 12 and 90.

It should be borne in mind that when the key 8| is inserted within thelock and the cylinder 16 is turned in a counter-clockwise manner, themember 90 and its associated projections 93 and 94 move to the left,thereby causing the projections 91 and 98 to move out of the cavities 99and I00 in pinions and 56, respectively. This effects an unlocking ofthe pinions so that upon the rotation of the crank in a clockwise mannerthe totalizer wheels can be reset simultaneously to zero position.

In order to prevent unauthorized persons from backing up the totalizerwheels, a suitable leaf spring lock I09 is provided. The upper end ofthis leaf spring is adapted to engage the teeth in the lower pinion 55(see Figures 2 and 3). In other words this spring prevents the pinion 55from rotating in a clockwise manner at any time (Figure 3).

It is therefore seen that a pick counter has been provided having aplurality of counting mechanisms with means for resetting simultaneouslyall of said counting mechanisms and means for locking said resettingmeans.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for thepurpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A counter having a rotatable shaft, a plurality of counting wheelsrotatably mounted on said shaft, a pinion fixed on said shaft, means forlocking the pinion against rotation, a driving pinion in engagement withsaid first-named pinion for rotating said shaft to reset the countingwheels thereon, driving means normally out of engagement with thedriving pinion, means for moving the locking means out of engagementwith the first-named pinion and moving the driving pinion intoengagement with the driving means.

2'. In a resetting mechanism for a counter, a rotatable shaft having aplurality of counting wheels rotatably mounted thereon, a pinion fixedon said shaft, a second shaft, a pinion slidably mounted on the secondshaft and meshing with the first-named pinion, said second pinion havinga clutch face thereon, a rotatable member for driving said second pinionand said rotatable shaft in a resetting direction to reset said countingwheels, resilient means normally pressing the pinion clutch face intoengagement with the clutch face on the driving member and keyoperatedmeans for moving the second pinion out of engagement with the drivingmember.

3. In a resetting mechanism for a counter, a rotatable shaft having aplurality of counting wheels rotatablymounted thereon,apinion fixed onsaid shaft,a second shaft, a pinion slidably mounted on the second shaftand meshing with the first-named pinion, said second pinion having aclutch face thereon, a rotatable member for driving said second pinionand said rotatable shaft in a resetting direction to reset said countingwheels, resilient means normally pressing the pinion clutch face intoengagement with the clutch face on the driving member, key-operatedmeans for moving the second pinion out of engagement with the drivingmember, and means on the key-operated means for preventing rotation ofthe first pinion when the clutch faces are held in disengaged position.

WOODFORD A. KENNEDY. EUGENE ROY CARPENTER.

